8.11B.2 Short & Long Term Environmental Changes

(8.11C) Wild Soay sheep live in a cold environment on a small Scottish island. The sheep used to be large because they gained extra weight during the summers in order to survive the harsh winters. A recent change in the island's climate has caused grass to be avaliable for a longer period each year. so survival conditions have become less challenging.
Researchers who study these sheep have most likely observed a decrease in the wild Soay's-

• size
• life expectancy
• reproduction rates
• body temperature

(7.11C) When Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Island in the 1800s, he observed many types of organisms that were similar but lived on different islands. The four species of mockingbirds found on the Gapapagos Island are shown below. Each species lives on a different island.
These species are very similar, but the Hood mockingbird has a longer beak than the other three species. Which of the following best explains this difference?

• The hood mockingbird needs a longer beak for defense against predators.
• The Hood mockingbird originated from a different type of bird than the other species.
• The Hood mockingbird's longer beak is an adaptation to the food available in the bird's habitat.
• The Hood mockingbird's beak stretched to reach its food, and the longer beak was passed down to its offspring.

Copper compounds are used to control the growth of algae and other aquatic plants. Copper interferes with photosynthesis in these organisms. What would be the most likely result of an accidental spill of these compounds in an aquatic environment?

• Fish would grow larger than usual
• Zooplankton would increase
• Plants would increase in size and decrease in number
• The plant populations would be reduced

Which process is responsible for carrying fertilizers that have been applied to crops into bodies of water, such as a river?

• Runoff
• Evaporation
• Ocean Currents
• Tectonic Plate movement

During a period of drought, members of a community may volunteer to water their lawns every other day, rather than daily. The most important benefit of this action is -

• It conserves the groundwater supply.
• It reduces air pollution
• It fertilizes the soil
• It adds nitrogen to the soil

Many animals that live in the ocean. They are often dark blue colored above and white below. Why would this color pattern be a helpful inherited trait for the ocean environment?

• This color allows them to blend in and avoid being seen by prey so they get food and they can reproduce
• This color pattern has no effect on reproduction it is only for variation during the seasons
• Their white underbelly helps them absorb more light and heat from the sun helping them grow and reproduce
• White reflects sunlight allowing the organisms to see better in the ocean
  

Snowshoe hares are related to rabbits and live in cold regions. In warm weather, they have a brown coat and spend many hours feeding on vegetation. To avoid predators they either remain still and try to blend into their habitat, or use their powerful hind legs to flee. What change brought about by the winter season would help these animals avoid predators in the snowy climate?

• Their bodies slow down and require less food.

• They spend more of the day sleeping.

• Their brown fur changes to white.

• They must search longer to find vegetation.

The Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula) is a plant, and like all other green plants, gets its energy from the Sun through photosynthesis. This plant, however, catches flies and breaks down their bodies using chemicals to meet its needs. Which environmental condition has led to this adaptation?

• Excessive insect populations

• Soil with few nutrients

• Low atmospheric oxygen

• Increased average daily temperatures

Three-toed tree sloths are mammals which live in the jungle trees of Central and South America. The majority of a sloth’s diet consists of leaves and buds from trees. As rainforest habitats are being destroyed, how will these organisms most likely be affected?

• Most sloths will become carnivores.

• The sloth population will likely decrease.

• Some sloths will start to hibernate.

• A cave-dwelling population will appear.

Lions and cheetahs prey on wildebeests that graze in the grasslands of the African savanna. What likely effect would increased rainfall over several rainy seasons have on the populations of wildebeests, lions, and cheetahs?

• All three populations would increase.

• The wildebeests populations would decrease, and the lion and cheetah populations would increase.

• The wildebeests would increase, and the lion and cheetah populations would decrease.

• All three populations would decrease.